Anheuser Busch said Monday that it plans to upgrade its Metal Container Corp. can plant in Arnold, boosting production and adding at least 20 jobs.

The project, expected to cost $70 million to $80 million, will add about 100,000 square feet to the 300,000 square-foot facility, one of five the A-B subsidiary owns nationwide that supply nearly half of all beer cans for the brewing giant. Construction is set to begin this spring and last into 2013.

A-B spent $5 million modernizing the plant last year, and said this new expansion is part of the $1 billion it plans to invest in U.S. facilities over the next three years. A-B also used the announcement to tout its dedication to its hometown.

"The expansion of our Arnold MCC facility is one more example of our company's dedication to the state, contributing to the economic stability of the region," said Luiz Edmond, president of A-B InBev North America. "Through our strong partnerships with state and local leaders, we have been able to bring this valuable investment to our hometown."

A-B will receive property tax abatement from Jefferson County and Quality Jobs tax credits from the state of Missouri to help fund the expansion. Precise figures on those subsidies were not immediately available.